Bianca di Angelo
by Awesomepossum328
Summary: Everyday, Nico di Angelo plays cards with his dead sister, as they did before she died on a quest. But when Nico is faced with starting an average life, like he's always dreamed of, will he choose normality or Bianca? And what will happen along the way?
1. Go Fish

**Hey guys, I'm starting a new story: Bianca di Angelo. I'm sorta basing it a bit off of the movie Charlie St. Cloud. However, I never saw the movie, nor do I know how it ended, I only know what I saw in the previews. I think the only thing that's really in common is the Bianca is dead, and Nico talks to her and stuff. So here's hoping to this working out!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson series. (Or Charlie St. Cloud if it really applies)**

**If I did, the House of Hades would be out by now.**

* * *

Nico di Angelo shoved his hands into the pockets of his aviator jacket.

Just like he always did when he was uncomfortable or sad. It wouldn't be long until Nico pushed hard enough and tore through the fabric of the old jacket. He was always out of place, and his jacket suffered his discomfort.

Nico forced himself to walk down the halls to his next class, ignoring everybody as he went. Nobody really talked to him anyways, they just seperated in fear to either side of the hallway when they saw him coming. It was like he carried the plague, and everyone was afraid of catching it.

First day of school, and he already had people cowering around him. It must be a son of Hades thing.

It was close to the end of the day, Nico had survived in the first school he'd attended in three years. He only had his eigth period class left. He looked at the blue piece of paper, with his scedule stamped onto it and attempted to read his eigth period.

Nico had major dyslexia.

Every so often, Nico would look up to ensure he wouldn't run into everyone, until he realized there was no way anyone would come near him, they just stayed glued to the side. After a few minutes of d's turning into b's and m's changing into w's, he managed to learn that his last class was science.

Nico walked until he found the room with his science class, and picked a seat in the black of the class. He set his books down and lounged against the back of his chair, careful not to tip over backwards. He looked at the other kids, talking to their friends, and making new ones. He didn't know exactly what to do, so he stuffed his hands into his pockets, and scooted his desk back a few inches away from the other students.

Nico didn't know what to do, but sit there and twiddle his thumbs. He couldn't read a book, nor talk to his nonexistant friend. He wouldn't talk to any spirits. If he tried, that would remove him from the _"he-doesn't-have-any-friends-because-he's-the-new-kid_ zone and into the "_he-doesn't-have-any-friends-because-he-just-got-back-from-the-psych-ward"_ area.

Nico prayed to his father for the bell to ring already before he lost his mind. And when a boy, with hair so brown it was almost black, broke away from the large group of gossipers, and walked towards Nico, he prayed harder.

"Hi. Are you new?" The boy asked.

Nico looked up at the boy, "yeah."

"I'm Michael Bennet." The boy said.

"Nico di Angelo."

"Cool jacket." Michael said, of Nico's old aviator. "My dad's a pilot and he has one kinda like it. He got it from his grandfather, who was a pilot in World War II. I come from a long line of pilots."

"Thanks. So I guess you're going to be a pilot?" Nico didn't know why he kept with the conversation, but it felt natural.

"No. I don't want to be a pilot." Michael admitted.

"Then what do you want to be?" Nico silently told himself to finish up the talk, before he said something stupid.

"I don't know yet."

Nico had a feeling that Michael did know exactly what he wanted to do, but was too embarrassed to tell or something. Nico understood when you wanted to keep something secret, and didn't press. He could tell Michael was going to ask him something, but the bell drowned him out as a thin mid-twenties female teacher walked in.

"Good morning class, my name is Miss. Blake and I am your science teacher." She wrote her name on the board in swoopy cursvie letters. "I am so excited, as I am a new teacher and I can't wait to help each of you learn!"

She was so sweet and peppy, that nobody had the heart to tell her it was three in the afternoon. Everybody just smiled and nodded encouragingly at her.

"I would like to introduce you to your classroom, by the end of the year, you will know everything about this room and everyone it in."

Nico fidgeted in his seat, there was no way anyone was finding anything about him.

"First I would like to introduce you to, my very best friend, Skully."

Miss. Blake walked over to a skeleton model hanging from a coat rack. It wore a top hat, a monocle, and grinned as if it enjoyed being recongized. For some reason, Nico wasn't surprised that her best friend was a skeleton. Nico, himself, had befriended multiple skeletons.

"She was a gift from my mother, who was also a science teacher. My mother recieved it from my grandmother, who was also a science teacher. I am a four-generation science teacher, and Skully has been with each generation since day one."

A few of the girls looked ready to vomit at the nearly one hundred year old skeleton. Nico felt like laughing. _Pssh, I've seen thousand-year old skeletons. _

As Miss. Blake went over lab-safety equipment and proper etiquette when experimenting, Nico looked at the other students to see what he could infer. He saw two students, male and female, with their desks pushed impossibly close, and they stared at each other with lust in their eyes.

Ew.

He averted his eyes from the two, and looked at the opposite side of the room. He saw a group of three girls passing notes, one even polishing her nails with bright red finger paint beneath her desk. Two wore incredibly short mini-skirts and wedged sandels, with matching metallic purses only big enough to hold perhaps two dollars and a thin cell phone. Their hair was obviously dyed, one a bright cherry red, and the other bleach blonde. Their hair hung in fake curls, and their ear lobes were dragged down by large hamster-wheel sized hoop earrings.

The third girl was about as natural as she could be. Her eyelids weren't painted metallic like her two friends. She was increasingly girly with a simple grey t-shirt and pink checkered scarf. She wore light pink jeans and grey half boots. Her blonde hair appeared natural, and her smile wasn't as white as the other two, who clearly had weekly whitening treatments. Her shirt wasn't the double-wide scoop neck the other two girls wore.

Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but she was modestly covered unlike the other two girls.

For a second, she naturally turned her head and caught Nico looking at her. She looked at him for a moment with her green eyes, ignoring her friend trying to hand her a folded up sheet of notebook paper. She stared at him, as if she knew something was different about him, like she could sense it. She stayed that way, until her friend nudged her with the paper, bringing her back into reality.

Nico shook his head and tried to bring his ADHD mind to focus back on Miss. Blake. As he finally got settled, the bell rang, marking the end of the school day. Michael waved at Nico as he walked out with his other friends. Nico gathered his things and walked out the door and down the hall. As soon as he saw the blonde girl slowly breaking away from her spot on the sidelines, he quickened his pace, not allowing her to talk to him.

Nico rushed out of school and down the sidewalk towards Central Park, where he went everyday, for the same reason. He ignored the sound of traffic and angry pedestrians swearing at him, and just walked. He was getting back into a better mood, when the blonde girl ran up behind him.

"Hi!" She stopped next to him, catching her breath.

"Hey." Nico responded, wanting to get away.

"Um, well since you're new and all, I thought you might like to know someone."

Nico already knew Michael, but he didn't speak.

"I'm Maree Louise Wells, but my friends call me Marlo." She smiled at him.

"Hi, Maree."

The girl's smile vanished, as she became less enthusiastic, "And what's your name?"

"Nico di Angelo." Nico answered, blandly.

"Uh, so, where are you going?" She tried to make conversation.

"Central Park."

"Cool."

They walked down the street in an awkward silence for a few more yards, neither one knowing what to say. Marlo's hair blew in the cold New York breeze, despite the fact it was August, she shivered. She rubbed her arms, chasing away the goosebumps, and probably being around the son of Hades wasn't helping too much.

"So, um-" Marlo tried.

"Not to be rude or anything," Nico interrupted her, "but why are you talking to me?"

"I don't know." Marlo admitted. "Something about you is just different."

Nico didn't respond to her comment, he didn't even call the girl by her nickname. He didn't want formalities with anyone, even talking to Michael was a huge step for him.

"Did that sound creepy?" Marlo tucked a blonde lock behind her ear.

"Um-" Nico was about to answer, but two high-pitched girls beat him to it.

"Marlo!" Her two friends ran down the streets of New York in their ridiculous outfits, ignoring the chill, waving to her.

Everyone on the block nearly stopped and stared at the sight of the pair in the neon miniskirts. Marlo sighed at the two, but smiled at them.

"Hey Callie." Marlo hugged the pink miniskirt. "Hey Jess." Marlo hugged the purple miniskirt.

"Hey Mar." Callie said.

"Calllie, don't call me that. It's not Mar. It's not Lo. It's Marlo. Just put the two together." Marlo smiled at her.

"Stop trying to correct me, Mar. You know I'll never change it."

"Fine. fine." Marlo smiled.

For the first time, Callie and Jess seemed to take notice of Nico. They looked at him for a moment like they knew they'd seen him someplace before, but couldn't remember where.

"Mar?" Jess asked, using Callie's nickname.

"Yeah?" Marlo answered.

Jess leaned close and whispered to Marlo, but Nico still heard her, "Why are you talking to emo-boy?"

"Um..." Marlo started, until Callie's small clutch buzzed.

Callie opened it and took out possibly the thinnest phone, Nico had ever seen in his life.

"OMG!" She said, loudly as if she had just learned the world was about to end.

She tucked to phone back into the bag and grabbed Jess and Marlo by the arms. "Girls, if we don't go now we'll never make our mani-pedi appointment."

Callie pulled the two girls away, but as they weaved through the crowd of New-Yorkers, Marlo looked over her shoulde and waved at Nico. Nico continued down the street trying to put together what just happened, and how those two girls hadn't died of hypothermia yet.

About two minuted later Nico stopped and waved to Mr. Marlin, a local fruit store owner. Mr. Marlin was in his late fifties, and had been the first person Nico had befriended here, which was pretty depressing. Mr. Marlin may have been old, but he could still throw a mean curveball, then scold you on how you were doing it incorrectly. Nico didn't even know there was a proper technique in pitchign a baseball, but apparently it was all in the wrist.

Mr. Marlin's hair was thinning, and he covered it with a New York Yankees baseball cap. That hat reminded Nico of Annabeth, who was almost as close a sister as Bianca was. Nico once made the mistake of telling Mr. Marlin he liked the hat, and Mr. Marlin inferred that since he liked the hat, he liked baseball. So now, Mr. Marlin often talked about the latest Yankee game, and expected Nico to understand what he was talking about.

Many people would've stopped coming by the shop after a while, but Mr. Marlin's was the store that sold pomegranates, which is why Nico enjoyed dropping by.

"Hello, Mr. Marlin." Nico greeted.

"Hello, Nico." Mr. Marlin smiled. "Did you see last night's game?"

Nico used an excuse he'd been waiting to use, "Sorry, I didn't. I had a lot of studying to do last night."

"Didn't school start today though?"

Nico bit his lip, and changed the subject, "So, um, how have you been?"

"I'd be better if business was up." Mr. Marlin chuckled at his own little joke.

Nico offered him a smile, "I'll stop by on my way home and buy a pomegranate, okay?"

"You know you're my best customer Nico." Mr. Marlin returned Nico's gesture.

Nico nodded, and waved goodbye to the old man, as he continued his walk.

* * *

When Nico arrived at Central Park, he immediantly went into _ignore absoulutely everything_ mode. He ignored all the happy couples enjoying a picnic dinner date, every nerd playing a good, fair game of chess, and probably every child in the city of New York yelling for their turn on the slide. Nico was here for something much more important.

He walked towards the secluded jogging paths, spotted with green bushes and tall oak trees. He came upon a handmade path of grasses that had been stepped on so many times, they were trampled with no hope of ever rising again. Nico stole a quick glance over his shoulder to check if anyone could see him.

When he saw that no one was near, he continued deeper into the path, until he came upon a clearing with nothing, but an old tree stump resting in the center. Nico walked to the stump and set his backpack down to the side, and plopped down next to it. He took a few breaths, beat his fingers against the wood of the stump, and waited patiently as he looked at the familiar scenery.

Then, the air on the other side of the stump began to ripple and shimmer as it took shape. Nico smiled as a figure began to appear in the sparkling air. A green hat and silver parka became clearer along with a girl with his olive skin and black hair.

"Hey, Bianca." Nico grinned at his sister.

"Hello, Nico." His sister returned the greeting, "your hair has gotten really long. You need a haircut."

Nico rolled his eyes at her in playful annoyance. Despite the fact that she'd been dead for nearly three years now, she hadn't even given up her personal mission to nag him until he exploded.

"Sure, Bianca. That'll happen." Nico said, sarcastically.

He unzipped his backpack and pulled out a deck of card from it. The same deck that they'd played with before she died. It was an older deck, the cards were wrinkled, ripped, and flimsy. But both siblings refused to get a new deck.

"What are we playing today?" Bianca asked.

Nico smiled at her as if he were still ten, "Go-Fish."

"Oh please, Nico. You know I beat you every time at Go-Fish."

"Whatever floats you boat, B." Nico chuckled.

"Just deal the cards, Nico."

Nico shuffled the deck a few times, mixing the old cards together, before dealing out the two hands; one for him and another for her. They both put down the sets of four they were dealt. Nico looked at his remaining cards and grinned at his sister.

"Youngest to oldest." Nico said.

"Nico, you realize I'm younger than you now." Bianca laughed.

Nico's eyebrows scrunched together, as he worked out it out in his head. She was right, he was thirteen and she was twelve.

"Oldest to youngest." Nico changed his words, quickly.

"Too late. Got any fives?"

Nico sighed as he handed his sister three fives, completing her set. She smiled at him, knowing that she always beat him. The game went by, with small talk about his new school and how she was.

"So, Bianca?" Nico looked up from his cards.

"Yeah?" She answered, putting down her set of kings.

"How are things with Dad?"

"Oh fine." She looked at her cards. "Got any sixes?"

"Go Fish." Nico said. "You don't sound too sure."

"Well, you know how he is." Bianca said, jokingly as she drew a card.

"Yeah." Nico sighed. "At least he lets us meet everyday to play cards."

"Yeah." Bianca aggreed, waiting for Nico to ask for a card.

Nico was about to request for the group of threes he was positive she had, when she began to shimmer. Her figure slowly fading in and out. She sat down her cards, revealing the threes.

"I guess our time is up for today. Bye Nico." Bianca murmured as she faded away.

"Bye B." Nico whispered, falling back against the ground, scattering his hand of cards, to stare at the darkening sky like he usually did.

He stayed like that for a few moments, wishing for more time with his sister, before he collected the scattered cards into their box and placed them gently into his backpack. He shouldered the bag and began to walk back, shoving his hands into his pockets.

* * *

Nico walked down the street, although the city was going to be plunged into it's dangerous night zone, the street was still full of people. Nico never much cared for the city, he always went home at night, and came back in the morning.

He stopped at Mr. Marlin's fruit shop. He knew Mr. Marlin was already gone, but a lone pomegranate sat outside on the front doorstep of the shop. Nico pulled out a dollar bill from his pocket, slipped it under the door, and took the fruit. Nico chewed the pomegranate, always slipping the seeds into the pocket of his aviator's jacket in case of an emergency.

He rounded a corner into a dark alley, he didn't even bother checking behind him. No one he knew would be out this late. He took a running position and sprinted into the shadows, not that he needed to, he just thought it looked cooler. He felt his backpack beat against him, the cool winds tearing his face off, and the whispers filling his ears as he disappeared into the darkness.

He caught his breath as the light returned. He was in his bedroom back in the underworld, taking the last bite of his pomegranate like he did everyday. He threw the remains into a black trash can by the door.

The door.

All he had to do was open the door, walk to his father's throne room, and demand to see Bianca. But knowing his father, it's just be a waste of breath. His father only allowed them to meet during the limited amount time he arranged for them to play cards. It was rare they'd even finish a game with the little time Hades allowed.

Nico flopped against his bed, Hades would never allow anything to change. Someday, Nico would fit in with the real world, and get to see his sister as often as he wanted to. But for now, things were exactly how Hades wanted them to be. Nico knew that his father was in complete control, and that his life would be defined by his parentage, and would never differ no matter how hard he tried...

If only Nico had noticed the frightened pair of green eyes that watched him as he vanished in that dark alley.

* * *

**So? What did you guys think? Review for me and tell all your fanfiction friends to read this. I have a Tratie story called Faking It, and it has a wide range of fans and I'm hoping to get this story that successful! Thanks for all support you get. I have just realized, that this was pretty long. **

**Randomness: I don't like newscasters. The newscaster is the person who says, "Good Morning" and then tells you why it's not.**

**REVIEW!**

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**You guys are such Awesome Possums! :oD**


	2. Old Maid

**I don't normally update this quick, but I am so pumped for this story that I just couldn't wait. This story really does need a little more love. I've gotten 1 like, 1 follow, and 2 reviews, thanks to all those who did that, but those who didn't: please do. I hope this story gets out more and gets more love. Thanks to all my fans... all three of you! Lol.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson series.**

**The old man with a serious case of ****_leave-us-all-on-a-freakin'-cliffhanger_**** syndrome does... **

* * *

Nico popped up in an alley.

He knocked over a few crushed beer cans, and scared the living daylights out of some poor stray cat trying to enjoy a half-eaten package of trashed sardines. Nico felt bad about that, but he didn't know who or what was going to be around when he was shadow-traveling.

He adjusted the strap of his black backpack, and slowly walked out of the alley, taking a look both left and right to assure nobody he knew could see him. He let out a soft smile as he saw no one, and began to walk to school.

He often questioned himself why he didn't shadow-travel closer to school, so he didn't have to walk the extra distance. He just kept reminding himself that it was too risky of being spotted. Who knows what a mortal would see if he popped out of some shadowy wall? Maybe they'd scream something about a demon...

He could also use the exercise, not that he really needed it, but that's what everyone says when they needed to walk a little further.

As Nico walked past the Empire State building, he looked up and could clearly see a giant mountain floating above it. The mist was that powerful, it could completely hide Mt. Olympus from mortal eyes. Nico felt a cold sensation come over him, he knew he had stayed too close to the mountain for too long. His father wasn't welcome, and neither was he.

Nico could understand that. Who would want death at their home for too long?

Nico rushed away from the building, disliking the feeling. He quickly closed the distance between him and another day at school. As he entered the schoolyard, he felt another sensation that made him stop dead in his tracks. It wasn't the cold feeling he had at Mt. Olympus. It was more an eerie, knowing feeling.

The feeling he was being watched.

Nico looked over his shoulder to see if anyone was keeping a close eye on him, and he found who. She wasn't esaily missed. In a bright-orange sweater and flushed grey jeans, Maree Louise Wells was as about as inconspicuous as traffic cone... that glowed with a flashing light.

She clutched a small notebook, as if it were the most important possession she owned, and a mechanical pencil in her hand. She hid behind a large oak tree, that really made the orange stick out. She quickly scribbled something down onto the paper, and then returned to her stare at him. Suddenly, she met Nico's eyes and realized she had been caught; then she ran, clutching the oh-so-precious notebook.

Nico shrugged it off, Marlo was a bit strange in her own way.

* * *

Marlo hid behind a tree, watching Nico di Angelo.

When she had first met him, she thought he was just a person who favored black; there wasn't really anything special about him. She thought he had been an average person, respecting his clothing choices, and hadn't given his normality another thought.

That is, until, she saw him vanish in that alley.

She had been walking home, alone. She knew it was stupid move to walk alone in New York City with darkness approaching, but she didn't have much choice. Callie and Jess lived in the opposite direction, and walked home together, leaving Marlo all alone. She had been nervous, until she noticed Nico a few yards in front of her.

What was he doing out so late? She remembered he had said he was going to Central Park, but did he really stay out that long? She took note of him, almost blending into the darkness, himself, in his dark clothing. She noticed he was eating a pomegranate. Marlo had never tried a pomegranate, but she heard the seeds were the best part. Every so often, she noticed he would put something into his pocket; it was too dark to tell what.

When he rounded a corner into a spooky, dark alley, Marlo had been confused. She wondered what he would be doing there. Her heart lurched. Was he part of a gang? Was he waiting to attack someone? She didn't think Nico would be capable of that, so she slowly followed him down the alley, sticking to the walls.

In a dim street light, she saw him do it. She saw him disappear.

First he had taken a runner's position, then he sprinted into a wall. She was about to check to see if he was all right, but he was gone.

Marlo replayed last night's scene over and over in her head. She didn't know how he did it, or why he would do it. Was he a magician? Or was he just some mutant? And if it was real, what kind of... super power, did he have? Teleportation? Intangibility?

Anything she knew about mutation and super powers, she'd learned from X-Men, which was pretty much everything.

She decided that the only thing to do was to spy on Nico, and see if he would do it again. She would take note of his every movement. Perhaps there was some form of process of preparation he had to go through each day to perform the ability.

So she stalked him.

He was pretty boring too. She found him on the school grounds, walking into the school, when he suddenly stopped and turned to look at her from her hiding place behind the big oak tree, West of the school. When Marlo realized her cover had been blown, she ran away from the scene.

She watched him during science class, and he didn't do much, but listen, or at least make it look like he was listening. Soon, Marlo was forced to verse herself in a game of tic-tac-toe, and she beat herself everytime. When the bell rang, he rushed out, while she was caught in the crowd. He was lucky- all the students made a direct path for him.

When she finally made it out of the school, she scanned the schoolyard for him, but he wasn't in sight. She silently cursed herself.

He'd probably performed the trick, and she didn't get to see him.

* * *

Nico walked down the crushed grass path.

He set down his bag, next to the stump and sat down like he always did. He took out the old deck of cards, and began to shuffle them when Bianca's spirit shimmered into place. She smiled sisterly at him, and he returned it.

"Hey B." Nico greeted her. "It's good to see you, I've had a weird day."

Nico began to deal out the cards for a classic game of Old Maid, as he told the story of his day. He told his sister about the girl, Maree Louise Wells, writing things down from behind the tree.

Bianca chuckled, "I think you may have a secret admirer."

"I don't think so B." Nico shook his head. "She's way out of my league."

"Whatever you say, brother, whatever you say." Bianca muttered, picking up her hand and letting Nico take a card from her.

The rest of the game went by casually as usual. They talked about Elysium, and how Hades was doing. They discussed the resent traffic congestion in the Ez Death line, and how Daedalus was fixing it. It would've been awkward for any other pair of siblings to talk about death, but as the children of Hades, it was second nature. Soon Bianca faded away, and Nico packed the cards into their case.

Guess who lost? Again?

* * *

**Sorry this one was a little short, but I really wanted to update and I'm really stressed over homework and stuff. So I hope you liked the little bit of story you got. Thanks to my two reviewers, my one favorite, and my one follower, you're the reason for the update!**

**REVIEW!**

**Randomness: Most people learn by observation, and there are the few who learn by experimentation... ****And then there are those who actually touch the fire too see if it's hot. **

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**Never ever stop being such Awesome Possums! :oD**


	3. War

**Hey guys, I'm back with chapter three, and I hope you guys like it! Be sure to check out all my other fanfics for me, especially if you are obsessed with Percy Jackson like me.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson series.**

**(Note: If you look carefully, and take a few letters out of the word "Disclaimer" you can get the word: "Lame." LOL)**

* * *

Nico appeared in his alley, like he did every morning for school.

And like every morning, he was running late. After tripping over a stray bin that he assumed once held fine wine... or drugs. He shrugged to himself, shaking off the idea of finding a new alley to shadow travel to. He jogged out of the alley, and into the busy New York street. He passed a Victoria's Secret, a Hot Topic, and a Pizza Hut.

And being filled with teenage hormones, he was tempted to stop at all three, but he never got the chance.

A random hand shot out from the alley between the Pizza Hut and possibly, Nico didn't catch the sign, another Victoria's Secret. The hand pulled him into to the alley, quickly and with much force, causing him to fall onto his assailant. But he was pushed off, and he still didn't know who'd he fallen on.

"What's up with you?"

Marlo. The world just hated him, didn't it?

"What are you talking about?" Nico asked, brushing himself off. "You're the one who attacked me."

"Not that." Marlo slapped his arm. "I know something's off about you, di Angelo."

Nico's hand, instinctively, went to his belt, where his sword was hidden. He didn't know if she was an angry monster, or a stupid demigod, or just a curious mortal. But either way, curiousity killed the cat, but the cat was stupid enough to test it's theory.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Nico insisted.

"Oh, sure you don't." Marlo's voice rose in sarcasm. "I know something's different. I've known since I met you, and I'm gonna prove it."

Marlo looked at him, not with anger, but with frustration. She had seen something, and he knew it. She had reason to him of innormality. She wouldn't back down, Nico could tell by the gleam in her eye, she had determination to back her up. She'd sooner die than back down, but Nico had seen death, and knew she didn't want to go there.

"Maree Loui-" Nico started.

"Marlo!" She corrected him, sharply.

"Maree. Louise." Nico was gritting through his teeth. "I have no idea what you're talking about. You, in fact, are out of it. So, are we done here? I need to get to school, before I'm late again."

"We're done." Marlo hissed.

Nico left and turned out of the alley, picking up his pace, trying not to get another tardy. Marlo just looked at the place where he stood, and then to where he ran out.

"For now. This is war, di Angelo." She whispered to herself, before shoving a hand into her jeans pocket and walking out of the alley, as if she did it every day.

But she wasn't Nico.

* * *

Of course he denied it.

Marlo should've known he would. She would lie too, if she could disappear/teleport/phase, or whatever the heck, Nico could do. She wouldn't deny that she was curious of how he could do such things, where and when he learned he could do them, and why he did them. Millions of questions ran through Marlo's mind, and into her self-conscious.

_Maybe he's just a magician._

_Can he do anything else?_

_Was he mutated or something?_

_Who did this to him?_

_Why he born this way?_

Marlo had curious mind, that she couldn't surpress. She had to get proof. Confronting him was no good, because he could lie and she would never know. She didn't own a polygraph machine, so simply asking him would never work. She didn't what he did or how he did it, but she woud get proof.

Take a video of him doing it, maybe?

No that's just like the time she tried to prove Bigfoot existed. She had really gotten footage of him, but the park rangers marked it off as a bear. And Bigfoot Finder's Online, marked it as fake, saying she either staged it, edited it, or caught some drunk in a costume.

Marlo reached up to her forehead, and traced an old familiar scar, now covered by makeup. She would prove the Nico was different, even if no one else believed her. She would just prove it to herself. She ran her fingers along the scar, her old way of making a vow. She would figure him out.

She had to, because she promised.

* * *

Nico trudged down the old grassy path, trying to stay upright.

School had been seriously rough. Marlo wouldn't sto bothering him, and told everyone at lunch that he had super powers. After that, she had to go to the nurse to lie down for a while, and he had gotten her off his back. But he had gotten multiple homework assignments, all lengthy and due the next day. But none of that matter now.

All that matter was Bianca.

He peeked through the leaves of the trees and saw her sitting there, patiently waiting for him. He smiled to himself, and snuck around behind her. He stepped on the balls of his shoes, hoping to stay silent. If he was too loud, it wouldn't work. Nico slowly crept up behind her, in an attempt to scare her.

"Wouldn't do that if I were you, little brother." Bianca said, not even looking behind her.

"How'd you know?" Nico walked around to his side, his shoulders slouched in defeat.

"Please, Nico." Bianca chuckled. "You can never sneak up on me. You always sound like your stepping on packing peanuts."

"Well that's nice." Nico huffed. "I'm the son of Hades. I'm supposed to be a soldier of the night. I stick to the shadows, and when you least expect it, I strike!"

If Nico's ego had been a pitcher of lemonade, it would be over-flowing.

"Hey, Soldier of the Night?" Bianca snapped her wispy fingers in front her brother's face. "Deal the cards."

Nico's lemonade pitcher of ego was now a glass of soda-water. And Nico didn't like soda-water. It ruined perfectly good soda.

"Fine." Nico grabbed the pack from his bag. "War?"

"You really wanna lose today, don't you?" Bianca smiled at him.

"Oh, it's on."

Nico split the deck in half, and let Bianca choose her side. She, of course, chose the slightly larger half, favoring her win. They both pulled out their first set of cards. Nico had a two, and Bianca had a king, and this continued. Soon Bianca had nearly all the cards, in her possession.

They each drew a card, and both had a nine. Nico's highest card of the day, and Bianca's lowest. Nico looked at Bianca and put down three cards, face down, and she did the same. They both held another card, Nico at his last. Nico flipped his over, and nearly started singing when he saw his card.

The ace of hearts.

"Ha!" Nico shouted triumphantly, dancing in his seat.

He started gathering the cards, thinking that he won.

"Uh Nico?" Bianca looked slyly at him.

"Yes, Miss. Loser?"

Bianca flipped over a joker. The highest card, the card that takes it all. She held out her hand for all the cards. He groaned and placed them in her translucent hand, but just as he placed them, she began to disappear.

"Oh, and I just won too!" Bianca said, annoyed.

"Bye, B."

"Bye, Nico."

Nico started gathering the cards, and placed them in his backpack. He went to his alley, grabbing his pomegranate, before departing for the underworld. Nico yawned and stretched at he arrived in his bedroom. He threw the pomegranate remains in his trash can, ignoring his hated door, and flopped down on his bed.

_How is it that Bianca always beats me? _Nico thought to himself.

He just turned over, muttering to himself, "The cards weren't shuffled very good."

* * *

**Hey guys, hope you liked all the little brother/sister moments with Bianca and Nico. I have been asked if Marlo is a demigod or mortal, and I will tell you that she is mortal. I have also been asked if Marlo and Nico will get ever get together. Well, I'm not sure yet. If they do, I want them to have a slow, steady journey from hatred, to awkward, to friends, to dating. Because I'm tired of people rushing into relationships and then breaking up three days later, crying, "I LOVED HIM!" **

**So review and I will update soon. (That kinda rhymed in my head...)**

**My Random Thoughts: 364 days of the year, parents tell kids not to take candy from strangers. Yet on Halloween its encouraged. Why is that?**

* * *

**Never ever stop being Awesome Possums! If you do, I can honestly say, we are never ever getting back together. And then you'll just be somebody I used to know... :oD**


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